“Jim and the whole crew do good work because they’re good people,” Miklas said. “They could get away with cutting some corners, but that’s not what they’re about.”

Building trust

During those many years, the staff at Charlie Graham earned Miklas’ trust.

“I trust them with my entire family – I put my wife and kids in the cars, and I’m confident in them because Charlie Graham keeps my cars running safely,” he said.

And Miklas said his endorsement goes beyond family.

“When people I know ask me if I know any good car guys, I tell them, ‘If you’re asking, then you haven’t been to Charlie Graham.’ They always do great work for me. They are my go-to.”

Honesty is the best policy

Miklas recalled when he took his minivan in for some work to Charlie Graham.

“We’d had it for a long time and it had certainly served its purpose, but they looked at it and said, ‘We’d make more money if we just kept fixing this for you, but it’s time for a new car.’”

He appreciated the honesty and now expects only the best from Charlie Graham as a result of his experiences. Another instance sticks out in his mind.

Back to the real world

“I bought a Lexus at a used car dealership and a week later the headlight went out,” he said. “I took it to the Lexus dealership and they said the car had been in a wreck, something the used car dealership neglected to reveal.

”So the warranty was voided. To get a new headlight, the dealership wanted $1800.”

He took the car to Charlie Graham to see what they could do.

“Jim said they could pull the high intensity headlights and replace them with halogen lights, which are still good, saving me about $1200. The headlights still work well to this day,” Miklas said.